


Tomoyo's Incredible Apprenticeship

by Kelette



Category: Cardcaptor Sakura, The Incredibles (2004)
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 10:28:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11146575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelette/pseuds/Kelette
Summary: Tomoyo, best friend and costume designer for Cardcaptor Sakura, takes some time to visit a more experienced designer of superhero clothes... Edna Mode of incredible fame. A short fic, completed.





	Tomoyo's Incredible Apprenticeship

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to improve my writing, so please feel free to leave concrit at the end. Thank you!

Tomoyo’s Incredible Apprenticeship (ao3)

The driver hit the buzzer and the face of security appeared on the small screen. Tomoyo had to lean forward to look around the driver and see the screen. The flipped cars in the United States were still confusing to her.

“Hello, do you have an appointment?” the man asked in English.

“Yes,” the driver responded. “Tomoyo Daidouji is here for her 3pm meeting with Ms. Mode.”

The guard glanced down and nodded in confirmation. The screen flicked off and the gates moved apart, letting Tomoyo’s truck drive through. 

The truck stopped in front of a mansion that was even larger than Tomoyo’s home. She stepped down while staring up, impressed.

“Well hello, you must be the Daidouji girl? Your mother was very insistent that I meet with you.”

Tomoyo’s gaze lowered and her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected Edna Mode, a westerner, to be shorter than her. Tomoyo smiled and bowed her head. “Yes, I’m Tomoyo Daidouji. It is wonderful to meet you, Ms. Mode.”

“Oh darling, just call me Edna,” the woman said. Edna’s eyebrows raised, briefly impressed by the Japanese child’s fluent English. “Now then, your mother said you wanted to learn more about designing costumes… for superheroes? That’s a very specific desire for a costume designer. To be a successful fashion designer you should be willing to broaden your interests just a bit.”

Tomoyo smiled. Her left hand raised towards the back of the truck. Its doors opened, revealing a closet of brightly colored clothes.

“There’s only one person I want to design clothes for,” Tomoyo said. “I came across your work while I was studying costumes and if you would be willing to teach me I would love to learn from you.”

Edna boldly strode into the back of the truck. “Some of this clothes are a bit frilly. Oh, and these capes! There are far too many capes!” She pulled down a pink dress and stared at it.

Tomoyo strolled after her. Her hand lifted to her mouth. “I’m sorry, do you dislike capes Ms. Edna?”

“No capes!” Edna shouted as her eyes examined the dress. Her hands pulled the cloth, testing the stitches and the very fabric itself. If the girl had indeed made the costume herself, then she was very good. Still, Tomoyo Daidouji had a lot to learn.

“If you wish to study under me, then that is my first rule. Never include capes on superhero costumes.”

Tomoyo blinked. Her hand slid to her cheek and she rested her head in her palm. “Are you certain? The capes are so cute!”

Edna sighed. “Come, come, darling. Let’s have a chat in my sitting room.” She hopped off the truck and her fingers beckoned for Tomoyo to follow.

Tomoyo’s hand folded neatly in front of her and she followed Edna with perfect posture.

**

“My, I didn’t realize that capes could be so dangerous,” Tomoyo said, holding her hand up to her mouth again.

“To be perfectly honest dear, with the abundant number of examples out I’m surprised people are so attached to capes,” Edna spoke, waving her hands. “Still, the typical person can only comprehend what’s fashionable. They understand the desire to go beyond fashion.”

“To go beyond fashion?”

“Yes, yes,” Edna jumped up so that she stood on her couch. “How useful is cute when you’re dealing with subzero temperatures or a blazing volcano? Is there any point in being beautiful when faced with a row a razor sharp blades? How about style in the middle of a thunderstorm? When designing clothes you must go beyond fashionable. Even stopping at practical is a waste of time! You must be prepared for any situation to arise! No matter what bizarre challenge the costume needs to be able to handle it! Flexible! Unbreakable! Fully dependable!”

Tomoyo’s eyebrows narrowed slightly as she strained to keep up with Edna’s fast and unpredictable speech. “I think I understand. In the past I’ve given Sakura-chan a rubber outfit to deal with Thunder.”

“Sakurachan? Is this your friend you want to make outfits for?”

“Ah yes. Her name is Sakura Kinomoto.”

“I see…” Edna narrowed her eyes as she stared at the girl. “Well, I won’t ask you to reveal your secrets. I’m not sure how your mother managed to find mine. Very powerful woman, isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“Using rubber to deal with lightning is a good idea, but you still need to go above and beyond that! Perhaps you would like to see some of my own inventions?”

“Oh, that would be wonderful,” Tomoyo said, clapping her hands together.

“Excellent! Right this way darling,” Edna said. She hopped off her chair and began to walk at a brisk pace. Tomoyo had to hurry to keep up.

“As you must be away I’ve developed costumes for all sorts of superheroes. Designing for the situation they might find themselves, designing for all the situations they might find themselves in, isn’t good enough!” Edna exclaimed, pausing to enter a complicated series of passwords. 

The large door before them slowly moved apart. Edna passed through them as soon as an Edna-sized space was available.

“You must also design for the superhero’s own abilities. Flexibility! Super-strength! Invisibility! Super-speed! Most of the strain on super costumes come from the superpowers themselves, did you know that?” Edna asked conversationally.

Tomoyo shook her head. “I never really thought about it that way before.”

“I don’t recommend ignoring it! Terrible things can happen. This is my lab, darling. Grab a chair and prepare yourself for a wonderful show.”

Edna hit a button and sat back into a chair. Tomoyo sat in the next chair over and stared up at a large glass panel.

An american styled superhero costume was carried behind the glass by mechanical arms. Tomoyo watched, amazed, as the costume was superheated, shot with bullets, stretched to opposite ends of the room, and turned invisible.

“That’s incredible!” Tomoyo said, amazed.

“Yes, yes, perfecting that fabric was one of my finer moments.”

“You created the fabric yourself?”

“Well, you know what they say darling. If you want it done right you need to make it yourself. Besides, even if someone else did invent the fabric they probably would have picked terrible colors.”

Tomoyo giggled. “Is your fabric for sale?”

“Only to certain parties, for a certain price. You wouldn’t be able to fill an entire truck with costumes made out of it.”

Tomoyo sat thoughtfully through the next demonstration.

“What sort of situations are you expecting your costumes to be used for?” Edna asked.

“Well, I have some examples here,” Tomoyo said, placing her hand gently on the camcorder bag she carried.

“Perhaps I can offer some suggestions?”

“Yes, please.”

**

They hooked the camcorder up to Edna’s theater sized flat screen, and began to play the adventures of cardcaptor Sakura. 

Edna watched carefully, paying close attention to the outfits.

“You have a clear sense of style, I admit it fits the girl very well. Another cape! Be careful with those skirts too, they can cause just as many problems as capes sometimes. Sometimes they can cause more.”

Tomoyo took notes on her notepad as Edna spoke.

“Hm… Sakura’s superpowers seem to affect whatever clothes she’s wearing. That’s very useful. I see you’re keeping those cards in mind, as long as she has a safe place to keep those and grab them when she needs to, then…”

Tomoyo’s notes were in Japanese. She nodded and carefully translated Edna’s advice into her native language. 

Edna leaned back, watching as Cardcaptor Sakura successfully captured the Snow Card. 

“How much longer are you in America for?”

“Just another week,” Tomoyo answered.

“I see. Then we don’t have much time. We should start work immediately.”

“Start work?” Tomoyo repeated, looking up.

“Well yes, we should be able to finish one outfit before you return to Japan. Get your notepad out! Start sketching!”

“Yes!”

Edna leaned over Tomoyo’s shoulder immediately after she started sketching. “What did I just tell you? No capes!” She reached down and scribbled over Tomoyo’s design.

“Ah, excuse me. She just looks so cute in them.”

“She won’t look so cute when it snags on a tree branch and pulls her back towards whatever she’s escaping, will she?” 

Tomoyo looked down and blinked sadly.

“There are other ways to look cute. No capes! We’ll find something else.”

**  
Tomoyo curled up under a staircase. Her fingers smoothed out the edges of her sketches and traced down the costumes she’d designed for Sakura. She hadn’t been putting Sakura in danger, had she? After all, Sakura was just so cute in capes… it was just a harmless design quirk, wasn’t it?

She hated the thought that Sakura might have been hurt because of her. She hated how seriously Edna took the design process.

Designing costumes should be fun. Costumes were also better if they were functional for the user. Thinking about those sort of severe consequences upset Tomoyo, because…. Because…

“Because it reminds me that Sakura’s been putting herself in danger this entire time,” Tomoyo whispered to herself in Japanese. Certainly, Sakura’s brother, Kero-chan, Yukito and Yue, Syaoran Li, even Eriol and Clow Reed himself had been looking out for Sakura’s safety. It didn’t mean Sakura’s actions were always safe.

“There you are!” 

Tomoyo stiffened. She looked up at Edna Mode and offered a polite smile. “Excuse me,” she said, returning to English. She slowly stood back up. “I felt tired and needed a break.”

Edna crossed her arms and managed to stare down at the girl, even though Tomoyo stood above her. “You and your hero are so young,” Edna observed. “All the more reason to learn more about safety now, yes?”

Tomoyo clutched her designs to her chest. “When you talk about minimizing risk, I…”

“You start to worry about your hero’s safety?” Edna asked in an abnormally soft voice. When Tomoyo nodded, Edna shouted “Good!” 

Tomoyo stepped back, pressing against the wall.

“Did you think design was supposed to be all fun and games?” Edna asked, spreading her arms out. “It’s important work! You have to make your costumes useful, adorable, and protective of your hero!” Edna sighed and lowered her arms again. “Why did you come here to ask me for help, Tomoyo?”

Tomoyo stared at the older fashion designer. “I wanted to be more help to Sakura-chan.”

“She’s going to be in danger regardless of what you do --but you can help keep her safer,   
yes?”

Tomoyo nodded. “Yes… Yes!”

Edna smiled. “Good, I think we are finally on the same page again.”

**

A week passed in a blur. At the end, Tomoyo stood in front of her truck, her body guards surrounding her. She bowed to Edna. “Thank you so much for all of your advice.”

“Think nothing of it. It was a pleasure, really. The finished costume looks quite spectacular, doesn’t it?”

“Yes! I can’t wait for Sakura-chan to wear it.”

“She’ll look very cute. Send me a picture, or a video, when she finally does.”

“I will,” Tomoyo promised.

“Well darling, it was nice to meet you. Come back and visit the next time you’re in the area.”

“Yes, I look forward to seeing you again.” Tomoyo gave the senior fashion designer one last smile before climbing into her family car.


End file.
